Baby Mine
by waiting-for-you443
Summary: Maka makes a decision that will change her and Soul's lives forever. Now, they have to learn how to raise a child, while they are still children themselves.
1. Three Weeks

"Oh shit," I muttered, looking at the stupid stick. There was no way. But three of the same result couldn't be wrong. I ran my fingers through my hair.

"Maka, are you okay in there?" Tsubaki called from outside the bathroom. I jumped.

"Ye-yeah!" I called, cursing myself for stuttering. But could you blame me? My father was going to _kill _me. Then he was going to bring me back to life, make me watch him kill Soul, then kill me again. Tsubaki knocked on the door.

"Maka, calm down. Take deep breaths," Tsubaki instructed. I opened the bathroom door and shoved the stick in her face.

"You see that? That's my ticket for death row."

"It's going to be okay. The first thing we need to do is go see a doctor. These things aren't 100 percent, you know that."

"Tsubaki, nothing's wrong _three times in a row_. But you're right. I do need to see a doctor." I fiddled with the hem of my shirt. "Will you go with me?"

Tsubaki smiled warmly. "Of course I will."

By now, you have probably figured out what's happened, but for those of you who are still confused, let's rewind three weeks.

**Three Weeks Ago**

"Maka, you _have_ to come to Black*Star's party! For me! I _really_ don't want to have to go deal with the guys being drunk by myself!"

I sighed. Liz was trying to convince me that if I went to Black*Star's party, him, Killik, and Ox wouldn't get nearly as drunk as they normally do. I sighed again.

"Fine, I'll go. But don't even _think_ about getting drunk yourself after complaining about the guys to me."

"Yay!" Liz cheered. "Now, we'll have to get you all gussied up for this. Don't give me that look, Maka, I know as well as you do that you want to look good for you-know-who."

A blush spread across my cheeks as I thought of the "you-know-who" she was talking about. I sighed in defeat, knowing it had been a bad idea to spill my guts about being in love with my weapon during a game of truth or dare.

"All right, fine, but nothing inappropriate!" I said, surrendering. I knew for a fact anything Liz put me in was going to be inappropriate, but at least now I could say I resisted.

About four torture-filled hours later, we were on our way to Kid's mansion, where Black*Star was hosting a party to celebrate Tsubaki becoming a deathscythe. My head felt a little heavy because my hair was down, falling in smooth waves down to the middle of my back. I felt a little taller in my three-inch leather boots, which reached up my calf. The dress I was wearing flowed around my knees, fluttering in the wind. Liz had described my look as "a nice change from the frumpy Spartoi member," but I wasn't sure whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. When I asked, Liz just smiled and said, "You'll see." Now I was really nervous.

As we neared the mansion, my stomach began to knot up, and I felt like I was going to be sick. Liz either didn't see my face or ignored it, because she threw open the double doors.

"I'm home!" she yelled, not caring if anyone heard her or not. By now I was shaking, and she took my hand and all about dragged me through the door. When I walked in, everyone stopped and stared. A blush crept across my cheeks, making me feel like a child dressing up in her mother's clothes and make up.

Pride getting in the way or embarrassment, I lifted my head and walked through the doors. I stopped in my tracks when I heard a few cat-calls float from the crowd. I flipped around and was almost out the door when Liz grabbed my arm and dragged me through the house, stopping at the punch bowl.

"Thirsty?" she asked, filling a dixie cup with the red liquid. I eyed it warily.

I took the cup. All the attention _was_ making me thirsty, and I hadn't seen a cooler with any water in it yet. I took a sip, tasting something weird that I couldn't quite put my finger on, and shrugged. No one here was going to poison the punch, and I had just seen someone grab a cup before me. I stood around the table and sipped at my punch, people watching, when I heard a voice behind me.

"Hey, baby. Have we met before?" I flipped around, smiling at the familiar voice.

"Soul!" I grinned, throwing my arms around him. He had been on a solo mission for the past three weeks, and was finally home. We had agreed to meet here and just walk home together after the party.

"Did you die without me?" He asked playfully.

"Almost. You should've seen the big guy in the store who was hitting on me yesterday. I never had the lingering feeling that I was going to be raped before him." Soul laughed. God, how I'd missed that laugh. I finished off my drink and poured myself another. Soul looked down at me, concerned but still smiling.

"Woah, there. Do you have any idea what you're drinking?" Soul chuckled, his eyes glittering. I lifted my eyebrow.

"Yeah? I wouldn't be drinking it if I didn't." It was just kool aid. What was he so worried about.

"Okay, just making sure." He poured himself another cup and clinked his with mine. "To me coming home."

"Welcome home!" I cheered, downing the toast. I refilled my glass. "To me becoming the youngest three-star meister the DWMA has ever seen!"

"To the first seventeen-year-old three-star meister!" Soul cheered back at me, chugging his glass. We did this about three more times before I started getting dizzy. Soul and I kept laughing as he tried to keep me upright, as I was having a hard time standing.

"You know what, Soul," I slurred, beyond caring that I couldn't speak correctly. Soul grinned.

"What?"

"I got a secret for you. Come 'ere," I gestured for him to come closer. He did. "Closer." He lowered his head a little more. "Closer!" I stage whispered, erupting into giggles at my own impatience. Soul's face was just inches from mine. I could smell the punch on his breath as it tickled my face.

I closed the distance, pecking his lips with mine. I backed up a step, giggling. "The secret, is that I've wanted to do that for a _looong_ time!" I whispered, tapping his nose with my index finger. I still had my arm around his neck. When he didn't answer me, I turned my head to look at him.

"Sou-?" I began, but was cut off by Soul's lips, kissing me desperately, almost needy. I immediately responded, letting the need I'd felt while he was away flow between us. Soul broke the kiss too soon, moving his lips to whisper in my ear.

"_How about we get out of here?_"

* * *

><p>The next thing I remember was waking up. It took me a minute to figure out where I was, because I definitely wasn't in my room. I looked around, moving slightly to get a better look around, when I realized I wasn't alone. I was lying under something smooth and warm, and saw a bit of white out of the corner of my eye. I flipped my head down to see I was laying on top of Soul. I realized too late that moving my head so fast was a bad idea. A splitting headache cut through my head, and I rested it on Soul's chest.<p>

When the room stopped spinning, I slowly crawled out of Soul's bed, careful not to move too much and wake him up. Or, god forbid, make my headache any worse. As the blanket slid off of me, I looked down to see I was only in my underwear. I blushed and reached for the first thing I saw on the floor. It was Soul's button down shirt he was wearing last night. The sleeves were a little too long for me, but the shirt covered what needed to be covered, so I shrugged and buttoned it up. I took one last look at Soul before I slid out of door.

Unsure of what to do with myself, I walked into the kitchen, bent on making breakfast. That's when I noticed how weird I felt. All my joints felt like they were filled with jelly, making it a little difficult to walk. Surprisingly, though, I felt good. Better than good. I felt _great_, though I would never admit that to anyone. I reached into the bread box and pulled out four pieces of toast, setting them in the toaster. I didn't pop them down yet, afraid that they would be cold by the time the eggs were done.

Just as I was finishing the first two eggs (sunny-side up, Soul's favorite), Soul came into the kitchen, only wearing a pair of sweatpants. I turned and smiled at him, showing him what I had been making. Soul's eyes widened with appreciation.

"Sunny-side up? I haven't had those since I left." Soul walked past me and got two plates out of the cabinet, setting one down beside the stove for me. I slid his eggs onto his plate and pushed the button for the toast down. We sat in silence as I finished cooking my meal, not even looking at each other. When the toast popped, I screamed. Soul chuckled and got up to butter it. Neither of us spoke until I sat down at the table.

"So…" we began at the same time, cutting each other off. I lifted my eyebrows at Soul, letting him go first. By now, my blush had come back with a vengeance, and I didn't trust my mouth to make coherent sentences.

"So… Something happened last night," Soul began, unsure. I nodded.

"But, I, uh, I'm not entirely sure _what_," I said. I really had no idea what had occurred the night before. I mean, did we just go home and get naked (not likely)? Did I kiss him (yes, I was positive I had)? Or had we…

"Maka, I'm not sure how to say this. God, this is so uncool…" he muttered. I was starting to get annoyed.

"Soul, just tell me what happened. It was a little awkward to wake up and not remember what happened." Surely I didn't…

"We had sex last night." I felt something in me crack.

"Ar—are you sure? I mean, really _sure_?"

"Unlike you, I actually remember what happened. God, who knew you were such a lightweight?" A lightweight…?

"Wait. Wait right there. Did you mean… Was there _alcohol _in that punch?" I asked, incredulous. Soul lifted an eyebrow.

"Yes… I thought you knew that. I asked you if you knew what you were drinking."

"I thought it was kool aid!"

"Well, technically it _was_ kool aid."

"I mean _just_ kool aid. I had no idea… Oh my god." Suddenly Soul got this weird look on his face. It was a mixture of guilt and hurt.

"Maka, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…take _advantage_ of you…" He was blushing now, too.

"No, Soul, you didn't. It's not like I didn't _want_ to…" I cut myself off, afraid of what I might say next. "I'm just so sorry."

Soul did something I didn't expect him to. He smiled at me. Not a smirk, not a grin, but a genuine smile. I felt my heart leap out of my chest.

"I understand. But, let's make sure not to do that again until were both _sure_ it's what we want, okay?" His smile must have been contagious, because I felt my lips pull themselves into one as well.

"Okay."

* * *

><p>And now, three weeks later, I, Maka Albarn, have done what I swore to myself I would never do. I slept with my weapon and not I have to lay in the bed I've made.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Hey, I decided to try something entirely new! I'm going to actually finish writing a multi-chapter story on here! Now, I know what you guys are thinking. "You made Maka get pregnant? God, that plot is SO overused."<strong>

**Yes, the plot is overused. But I have a really sweet ending for this, and I didn't want to write is as a one-shot. So :P. Anywho, let's move on.**

**Now, unlike all those other SoulXMaka pregnancy fics, I'm not going to have them announce that they are in "love love" with each other (ten points to anyone who gets the reference) right away. I want to see how the Soul and Maka in my head deal with teen pregnancy, and being a kick-ass team on top of it.**

**Oh, and before I go, if you guys don't like the story, just don't read it. It's as simple as that. Let's not flame the newbie, okay?**

**Alright, I'm gonna start writing chapter 2, so Bysies!**

**EDIT: Oh, and I forgot to mention this the first time around. I'm still a virgin, so I have NO IDEA what you feel like after sex. I read in some book, I'm pretty sure it was Breaking Dawn (sue me, I like the Twilight books), that the girl felt like jello afterward. I just don't remember where I heard it. Also, I never thought Maka would drink consensually, so I spiked her drink. And how would she know what alcohol tasted like if she'd never had any?**

**Furthermore, I don't think Maka would consensually sleep with Soul (not that she wouldn't want to) without the invention of an unknown substance. And since I am more against drugs than alcohol, I decided to accidentally get them both drunk. (Because, come on, Soul wouldn't rape Maka. It's never gonna happen. I don't even WANT that to happen.) If Maka's gonna consensually have sex with ANYONE, they'd have to be married first. That's just the kind of girl she is, in my opinion.**


	2. Symptoms

"Which doctor are we going to go see?" Tsubaki asked, walking beside me.

"The only doctor we know," I answered, a shiver running down my spine. Maybe if I explain myself to Professor Stein, he'll have mercy on my soul and won't let Papa kill Soul. Or maybe he won't care, and will stay out of it, getting his sick kicks out of my misery. Wow, I'm such a happy person.

As we ascended the mountain of stairs to go into the DWMA, Tsubaki looked back at me as I climbed sluggishly behind her. I'd been a lot more tired lately, and this wasn't helping. She reached her hand back to me, offering me help. I thought about rejecting, but decided against it. Tsubaki and I made it to the top twice as fast, and were on our way to the dispensary when I heard an annoyingly familiar voice behind us.

"I, BLACK*STAR, WHO WILL SURPASS THE GODS, WANTS TO KNOW WHERE YOU TWO THINK YOU'RE GOING," Black*Star practically screamed across the hall, causing everyone walking by to turn and stare. I put my face in my hands, trying to close up like a telescope. Tsubaki smiled in sympathy.

"We're going to the nurse's office. Maka hasn't been feeling well, so she wanted to go get her temperature taken," Tsubaki lied with ease. I looked up at her with wide eyes, wondering if Black*Star was going to buy it.

"Oh, okay." Of course he would. "Just make sure you guys are back before the end of class. I have a show to put on and I don't want you to miss it. That goes double for you, Tsubaki." And then he _would_ add something in there to draw attention to himself. I sighed in relief, promising Black*Star that I would have Tsubaki back to class in time, and pulled her into the office. Luckily, Stein was sitting at his desk.

"Oh, hello Maka. What can I do for you?" He asked, seeming a little distracted. Perfect.

"Well, Professor, I was wondering if you could do a certain test for me." I was losing confidence fast. Stein raised an eyebrow.

"A test?" He prompted me. I swallowed.

"Yes. A test," I mumbled again. I couldn't see his eyes; the glare on his glasses hid them. I wasn't sure he'd heard me until he spoke.

"What are your symptoms?" he asked, the glare not leaving his glasses. I was getting nervous now.

"Well… My symptoms started three days ago…" I trailed off. I let my mind wander back to that day as I recounted the story to Stein and Tsubaki.

**Three Days Ago**

_"Ugh…" I mumbled, grabbing a wad of toilet paper to wipe my mouth. I flushed the toilet and sighed. I had suddenly become very nauseous, and I nearly hadn't made it to the bathroom in time. I heard a knock at the door._

_"Maka, are you okay in there? I thought I heard you throw up," Soul's concerned voice floated through the door and into my ears, making me feel slightly better. I stood up shakily, taking slow steps to the sink to brush my teeth._

_"Yeah, I'm okay." I called through the door, hoping to calm his worries. I opened the door and smiled. Concern slowly faded from Soul's red eyes, making me feel a little bit better. He gave me a crooked smile and sighed in relief._

_"I was afraid you were getting sick or something. Are you sure you're okay?"_

_"Yeah, I'm fine." I reached up and kissed his cheek. We'd been much closer since the incident three weeks prior, but we still hadn't kissed each other's lips since then.  
>"Good. Now, I hope you're hungry, because I made you scrambled eggs. Your favorite." I walked into the kitchen, and suddenly wished I was back in the bathroom. One whiff of those eggs and another wave of nausea ran through me. Only this time, I didn't make it to the bathroom. I staggered to the sink and poured myself a glass of water, gargled, and spit the nasty taste out of my mouth. When I remembered that I had just puked all over our kitchen floor, Soul was already cleaning it up.<em>

_"I'm sorry," I began, but Soul put one hand up to silence me._

_"It's cool. Go brush your teeth. You can stay home today if you want." There was no way I was staying home from school when Ox Ford was that close to tying with me for top of the class. I gave Soul my most determined look._

_"I'm feeling much better now. There's no need for me to stay home. I have to make sure to kick Ox's ass academically if I'm ever going to show my face in the DWMA again!"_

_Soul chuckled and kissed my forehead again. I smiled and grabbed his hand, leading his toward the door._

_"And the first step to kicking Ox's ass is getting to school on time."_

Yanked back to the present, I saw Stein studying me. I blushed, realizing I had just revealed my real thoughts about Ox Ford to our teacher. But Stein must not have noticed, because he was busy scribbling on his clipboard.

"Anything else?" he asked, putting me on the spot again. I thought back to just yesterday, coming home from school.

**Yesterday**

Ugh…why am I so tired?_ I thought, sprawling myself out on the couch. Soul was playing basketball with Black*Star and Kid, so he wouldn't be home for a while. I turned on the TV, smiling when I saw a new episode of "Glee". I began singing along to the first musical number, and before I knew it, I was dreaming I was _in_ the show. I was about to pull a Rachel Berry and belt out the final note in "If It Kills Me" by Jason Mraz, when someone shook my shoulder, startling me awake._

_"Wake up, Maka," Soul murmured, shaking my shoulder again. I opened my eyes, not feeling the least bit rested. That concern I was growing so used to seeing in Soul's blood-red eyes had come back, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with it._

_"I'm so tired…" I croaked out, my voice hoarse from sleep. Soul cupped my cheek with his calloused hand._

_"I'll make dinner. You go back to sleep, okay?" And I did go back to sleep. I slept all the way through dinner and the night. At some point, Soul had picked me up and put me in bed, because that's where I was when I woke up the next morning._

Stein was no longer looking at me; he was too busy studying his clipboard. He began turning the screw in his head, contemplating something.

"Maka, I know this is an awkward question for your teacher to be asking, but let's think of me as your doctor for right now, okay?" I nodded. "Now, I need you to tell me something. No one's going to get into trouble, but have you been sexually active recently?"

Oh crap. I'd forgotten that I'd have to spill the beans about what had happened. I swallowed; mustered up every ounce of courage I possessed, and looked Stein in the eyes.

"Yes." I squeaked. I cleared my throat. "I mean, yes." I said, my voice steady this time. The glare still hadn't come off of Stein's glasses, but I could tell with my soul perception that he was feeling a whirlwind of emotions. I opened my mouth to speak, to _apologize_, when my father came bursting through the door.

"MY MAKA IS SEXUALLY ACTIVE? WHO DEFLOWERED MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER? WAS IT YOU?" Papa grabbed a random boy out of the hall, pressed his blade to the poor kid's throat.

"No, Papa! It wasn't him! I don't even know him!" That was a lie. Okay, half a lie. I did know the kid, just not well. We sometimes studied together in the library, but I couldn't remember his name right now. Stein grabbed Papa and set him roughly in a chair, which he then tied Papa to and threw him in a closet. That's when he pulled out the needle.

Now, I've faced kishin eggs, had probably broken every bone in my body, had faced numerous witches, but the one thing I was scared of more than anything was needles. I shrank back into Tsubaki, who had been sitting beside me quietly the entire time. I could feel Stein trying to contain the madness in his wavelength as he inched closer to me, needle in hand. Needless to say, it didn't make me feel any better.

"Now, in order to do the test I need to do, I need some of your blood. Okay, Maka? I'm not going to hurt you, I _swear_." I knew he was trying to reassure me, but it sounded like he was talking more to himself. Again, it didn't make me want him to come any closer to me with that syringe. I clutched Tsubaki's hand for dear life as Stein jabbed me with the needle as swiftly as possible, taking the blood he needed in seconds. I almost passed out when he told me it was over.

"Tomorrow's Saturday, so I'll call you at home with the results tomorrow. Now, get to class before you two are late," Stein added cheerfully, probably trying to take his mind off of the task at hand. I sighed (I'd been doing that a lot lately) and walked out of his office, feeling terrible about myself.

"Who knows, Maka. Maybe the test will be negative," Tsubaki said, trying to cheer me up with her optimism. But I didn't want to be optimistic. And I already knew the result of that test.

"Come on, Tsubaki. I promised Black*Star you'd be back before the end of class."

* * *

><p><strong>Gah, that chapter was short. I kind of wanted to focus on Maka telling Stein the symptoms that she'd been having. Originally, I had Maka tell Stein that she needed a pregnancy test, but then I wanted to have him ask her if she'd been sexually active, and he wouldn't if she'd asked for a PREGNANCY test, because the answer would've been obvious.<strong>

**Oh my god, I have the perfect idea for part of the next chapter. But you're going to have to wait until the next chapter to see it. Sorry for teasing you.**

**Oh, and the reason why Stein was a "whirlwind of emotions" is because I think he sees Maka almost as a daughter. If you squint at them in the canon-verse, you might see it, too. :) **

**A couple of notes on this chapter:**

**1. If anyone notices the reference in this chapter, I'll freaking love them forever. Because I don't think too many people will. But you guys have surprised me before.**

**2. Tsubaki lies to Black*Star all the time. He buys it because he knows she'll come clean and tell him the truth when she's ready. That's why their love is so strong, and why they get along so well.**

**3. Yes, I'm having Soul and Maka get closer. No, they never told each other "I love you" after the incident. And, as Maka stated in her flashback, they haven't had any lip kisses since then.**

**4. Soul is so concerned for Maka because he still feels awkward for sleeping with her. He's still convinced that he took advantage of her when she was drunk and is trying to make it up to her. He thinks it makes him look cool. For the record, yes, it does make him cool. Infinitely cool.**

**I think that's all for this one. If you see anything else, just tell me. Bysies!**


	3. Results

I walked back into class and sat in my usual seat next to Soul. He raised his eyebrow at me, asking where I'd been, but I just waved him off.

"I was feeling a little under the weather, so I went to get my temperature checked. I'm feeling much better now." I smiled, but I knew Soul could see through it. I didn't feel any better. If anything, I felt worse. I clasped my hands in my lap as Professor Stein walked in, trying to avoid looking at me. I knew he was mad at me. He knew just as well as I did what the result of that test was going to be. It was going to be the same result as the three home tests I'd taken. I felt a warm hand grip mine under the table and smiled. I squeezed Soul's hand back, letting him know I appreciated the gesture.

Class was a nightmare. I swear Stein chose to do a dissection _just_ to make me sick; a horrible punishment for what I'd done. I didn't even bother taking notes, preferring to glare at him instead. Every time Stein looked at me, he smiled. It made me want to punch him in the face. Stupid hormones.

Eventually I gave up on the glaring contest to stare out the window, obviously not listening now. I let my mind wander, thinking about how much I hated these stupid hormones. Not only was I pissed at Stein, but at the same time, I was hyper-aware of Soul beside me. His hand was still holding mine, and the feeling of his skin was almost too much to handle. I could just imagine running my free hand across his chest, feeling his muscles ripple underneath…

I shook my head. _Mind out of the gutter, Albarn. That kind of thinking is what got you into this mess._ Something clicked. Why should I be mad at Stein, or even Soul? It was my own damn fault. It was _my_ hormones that made me kiss Soul, _my_ hormones that didn't tell him to stop when I should have. _My_ hormones that wanted more…

Ugh! Why couldn't I get my mind out of the gutter? I sighed for the umpteenth time that day (what, did I have oxygen deprivation or something?) and tried to think of something, _anything_, else. That's when the biggest roadblock crossed my mind.

_How the hell am I going to tell Soul?_ I thought to myself. I turned to look at him. He'd fallen asleep, my hand still clasped tightly in his. I smiled as I watched him, reaching over to move a strand of hair from his face. He really was adorable when he slept. He almost looked like a child, so peaceful and at ease. I wondered if _our_ child would look like…

Stop right there. Did I just think _our child_? I wasn't even sure if I was even pregnant with _our child_, much less keeping it. But what else would I do? I refused to get an abortion. I wouldn't take a life that couldn't even defend itself. Tears began to form in my eyes at the thought of never meeting the little parasite.

Damn hormones again. I quickly wiped the tears away from my eyes, hoping no one had noticed them. Too bad I never get what I hope for.

"Maka, are you okay?" I heard Kim whisper to me. I looked at her and smiled.

"Yeah, I just feel bad for the poor little animal Professor Stein has mutilated this time." We both chuckled and she turned around. My smile faded. I just couldn't seem to keep them nowadays.

When Stein ended class, I woke Soul up and told him to go home without me. I had a few errands to run. He yawned and agreed, saying he didn't feel like shopping today. I rolled my eyes. If I was going to survive tonight, I needed a book. Bad.

"Welcome back, Maka!" The shop owner called as I walked through the door.

"Thanks, Ted. Got anything new?" I asked, welcoming the greeting. It made everything feel a little more normal.

"Ah, sorry, Maka. I don't. Feel free to browse around for as long as you like, though."

"Thanks, Ted!" I called from a few shelves away. Without realizing where I was going, my feet carried me to the pregnancy and childbirth section. I walked along the shelf until I reached the book every mother and their dog owned. What to Expect When You're Expecting. I swallowed, feeling a knot form in my throat. I knew I had to buy it, but I also knew that if I took it up to Ted to pay for it, he'd be really upset. What if he never let me back into the store? I had to think up an excuse, fast.

I walked back up to the register as slowly as possible, picking up a few miscellaneous books on the way. When I got up to the front desk, I had four books, with What to Expect When You're Expecting on the bottom. Ted rang them up quickly, and I felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of my neck when he reached the pregnancy book. He paused.

"What to Expect When You're Expecting?" he asked, holding up the book for me to see. "Did you pick up the wrong book, Maka?" His eyes searched mine. I knew if I looked away, the jig was up. I held his gaze, coaxing a smile onto my face.

"No, I'm writing a story. In the story, the girl gets drunk at a party, accidentally sleeps with her best friend, and ends up pregnant. I need the book so I know, well, not to play on words, but what to expect." I added in a chuckle for good measure. Ted read my face for a moment, making me feel very uncomfortable. Then a huge grin spread across his face.

"I knew you'd try your hand at writing one day, with how much you read. Sounds like an interesting story. How does it end?" That stumped me. Technically, I'd been telling the truth so far. I had gotten drunk at a party and slept with my best friend. But how would my story end?

"They end up together," I say after a few moments' hesitation. Ted's grin grew wider, if possible.

"I love a good happy ending. I want to be the first to read the manuscript when you're done, okay?"

"Of course," I promised, tacking a smile to my face. Walking out of the store, my smile fell. There would be no manuscript. And if I kept the little parasite, Ted would find out the truth. I spent the entire trip home thinking of nothing else but the look on Ted's face when I walked into his store, a bulging belly leading the way.

"I'm home!" I called as I walked in the door. Blair was the first to greet me.

"Hey, Maka. Did you bring Bu-tan anything?" she asked, excited. I smiled and shook my head.

"No, I only ran by the book store." Suddenly, I was happy Soul hadn't gone with me. If he'd seen me buy that book, he'd have called bullshit the moment I opened my mouth to explain it. I quickly placed the bag on my bed, shutting the door behind me. I tried to act normal, but suddenly I couldn't remember what "normal" was. I twitched every time the phone rang, reaching for it before Soul could answer. I knew it was stupid, Stein said he'd call tomorrow, but I just couldn't help it. I didn't want Soul or Blair to answer when he did. I didn't want to have to lie to them right before telling the truth, seeing as how they'd be the first to know (other than Tsubaki, of course).

I couldn't get a wink of sleep that night. I spent the whole night studying the pregnancy book. All of the symptoms seemed about right. I should've only been three weeks along. My parasite (I just couldn't call it a baby yet. I just couldn't) wouldn't be any bigger than my fingertip. I looked at it thoughtfully. I amused myself by imagining I was balancing a miniature baby on my finger. When the baby began to fall off, I stopped. I was not about to upset myself and have Soul barrel into my room. I was not ready to tell him yet, and the sight of the pregnancy book would have him connecting the dots. I put the book down and turned off the lamp, trying to get some rest, but my entire night was filled with dreams of me being nine months pregnant and water. Lots of water. In a couple of my dreams, I almost drowned. I sighed, eventually giving up. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

I woke up the next morning to the phone ringing. I didn't remember falling asleep again, but then again, I fell asleep a lot without realizing it nowadays. I got out of bed and picked up the old rotary phone Soul and I owned. Soul had said that it was "cool" when we went furniture shopping all those years ago, so I bought it. I thought it was cool, too.

"Albarn and Evans residence," I mumbled into the phone sleepily. The voice on the other end of the line woke me up in seconds.

"Maka, it's Professor Stein. I have the results of the test. Would you like to hear them over the phone, or do you want to come see me?" I thought that over.

"I'll come see you," I decided. I knew I was going to cry, and I wanted to get it out of my system before anyone else found out. Stein told me he'd see me when I got there and we hung up. I pulled on a pair of shorts, a tank top, a pullover, my boots, and walked out the door. I was half way down the stairs when I decided I'd better leave a note. I walked back into the apartment, found a sticky note and a pen, and wrote a quick note:

Soul-

Went to Stein's. I'll explain when I get home.

Make you and Blair breakfast.

-M

I walked out the door again, this time not looking back. When I arrived at Stein's stitch-covered house, I was wringing the hem of my pullover in my hands. Maybe I should have brought Tsubaki. Oh well, no turning back now. I knocked on the door with a shaky hand. Stein opened it and welcomed me in, but he didn't smile. I didn't smile back, so it was okay.

I walked over to his living room, situating myself on his couch. I refused his offer of tea. He didn't offer me coffee. Stein sat down on the chair across from me and clasped his hands together; his knees spread apart, elbows resting on them. He leaned forward a bit, his eyes deep in thought. He was thinking about how to break the news to me. Eventually, he looked me in the eyes for the first time since I sat in the nurse's office the day before.

"Maka, I'm not going to beat around the bush. The test came back positive. You're pregnant." My breath caught in my throat. That was the first time I'd heard the word out load in reference to me. Tears began to well up in my eyes.

"I'm sorry. I—I just… I don't even have any excuses. We were at a party, and I didn't know that the punch was spiked, and—and Soul and I were toasting…" Sobs began to rack my body. Stein walked over and patted my back awkwardly. I noticed for the first time that his cigarette wasn't lit. It hung limply from his lips, useless. He'd done that for me. I started to cry harder.

"I'm just so freaking sorry!" I cried. "Neither of us meant for it to happen! Please—please don't be mad at Soul! He didn't do anything wrong! I kissed him first! God, I don't even remember what happened!"

"Ouch, that must have hurt his ego," Stein muttered. He must not have meant for me to hear, but I glared at him anyway. Stein gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry, not the time for bad humor. Now, it's time to get serious. Have you told anyone yet?"

"Only Tsubaki, and that's because she went with me to get the first tests I took."

"Tests?"

"Yeah, I took three before I came to see you. I just wanted to be sure."

"Wait, you took _three_?"

"I wanted to be sure," I mumbled, embarrassment making me frustrated.

"Sorry. Okay, so the first thing you need to figure out is not who you're going to tell. It's whether you're keeping your baby or not."

That's right. This was my parasite. I sighed, and gave Stein the decision I'd made the night before.

"I'm keeping it."

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, so I have quiet a few note for this chapter. I have to say, I am pretty happy with this chapter. Originally, I was going to add in exerts from <span>What to Expect When You're Expecting<span>, but when I went looking for the copy we owned (first it was my mom's, then she gave it to my sister when she got pregnant), my mama told me that my sister gave it to one of her pregnant friends (seriously, teen pregnancy is in the freaking WATER where I live). So, I decided to just go off of what I know from experience.**

**Now, for the multiple notes I have for this chapter:**

**1. Even if Maka wasn't really pregnant and they hadn't slept together, you KNOW Soul would hold Maka's hand like that if she was going through a tough time. THAT display of affection I did not create.**

**2. Stein would totally dissect something JUST to get back at Maka. Don't deny it.**

**3. If any one of you complain about Maka's mind being in the gutter, I WILL come after you. I'm pure and that was HARD to write without giggling. But you gotta admit, it turned out good.**

**4. When I stated that Maka might not keep the parasite, I meant she might put it up for adoption. But deep down, I think she loves it already.**

**5. In regards to me referring to the parasite as an "it": I will not tell you the gender of their baby. You will find out when they do. Don't be impatient.**

**6. Ted the Store Owner: Why isn't he a woman? Wouldn't Maka feel more comfortable with a woman? Yes, Maka might feel more comfortable with a woman store owner, but a woman store owner would've known Maka was pregnant instantly. I'll let you guys in on a little spoiler: Blair already knows. Tsubaki went with Maka to get the home pregnancy tests because she COULD TELL MAKA WAS PREGNANT. It's a woman thing. I think Maka even knew before she took the first test. Women have this weird intuition about babies. Don't ask me why, I think even I knew my sister was pregnant before my mom told me, on account of the fact that I didn't freak out.**

**7. Soul totally would come barralling into Maka's room if he felt a disturbance in the force. In his boxers. Blair sitting on his head, holding on for dear life.**

**8. I had to mention the kick ass rotary phone in Soul and Maka's apartment. It made it's debut in chapter 83. I also freaking LOVE the shirt Soul's wearing in that chapter. Just saying.**

**9. Stein would totally put out his cigarette if a pregnant woman was in his presence. He wouldn't be a douche. He's a doctor, remember?**

**10. I couldn't help but have Stein point out the punch to Soul's ego. He just would.**

**11. Having Stein emphasize THREE pregnancy tests was a reference to Juno. I had to point that out because you guys never seem to get my references. Sad day. :(**

**That's about it. Also, no one's surprised she's keeping the baby. Don't even pretend to be. You saw it coming.**

**I'm going to go at least start (and most likely finish) chapter 4, so bysies!**


	4. I Plan to be a Mother

All the way home, I went through possible scenarios for telling Soul about the parasite. But the bigger issue weighing on my mind was telling my father. He may have seemed like a big idiot, but he could be serious when the time called for it. When Papa got seriously mad, he got very quiet. He didn't raise his voice, which made you wish he would yell at you. I'd seen him use this on not only me, but on Mama as well. Believe it or not, Papa wasn't the only one who did things to upset Mama.

I shook my head, not wanting to think about Mama and Papa right now. I refocused my mind on my scenarios. They all ended one of two ways. Soul gets angry and leaves, or Soul gets upset and cries. I didn't think I could handle either. When I walked in the door, Blair greeted me.

"So, what did you talk with Stein about, Maka?" Blair asked, a suspicious tone in her voice. I froze. Did she know?

"Oh, uh, well, go get Soul and sit down at the table. We need to have a family discussion." I swore I saw a satisfied look in her eyes as she walked into Soul's room, but I ignored it. I was getting paranoid.

"What's this about, Maka? We never have 'family discussions' or whatever you called it. They're not cool." I restrained myself from grabbing a book and Maka-chopping him into next week. He needed to be here. I needed him here.

"There's something I need to tell both of you. I don't ask for much, just no yelling or hitting things. That'd be awesome. Thanks." Blair looked at me, but the look in her eyes was the one she got when I told her something she already knew. It was a mischievous look that told you you'd been found out. I swallowed, trying to push down the feeling that Blair had found the book.

"I've been feeling off the last few days," I began. I heard Soul mutter something but chose to ignore him. "Yesterday, I went with Tsubaki to see what was wrong. Professor Stein got the results back today." It was getting difficult to breathe. I knew I was going to start crying again. Soul got up and rested his hand on my back, trying to soothe me like Stein had earlier. I tried to control my breathing as I continued.

"I'm—" I cut myself off, a sob racking my body. Seriously, this whole crying thing was _really_ gonna get to me. I took a deep breath, shut my eyes, and took the plunge.

"I'm pregnant."

The entire room went silent. Soul hadn't moved his hand from my back, but he'd stopped rubbing. After a few minutes, Soul walked around me, picked me up from my chair, and pulled me into his arms. He cradled me, holding my head to his chest, his face buried in my hair. Suddenly I felt his shoulders begin to shake. I wrapped my arms around his waist, trying desperately not to cry again. He needed me to be strong right now. When Soul finally lifted his head to take a breath, I felt tears fall onto the top of mine.

"Oh, god, Maka, I'm—I'm so fucking sorry." He took shallow, ragged breaths. I rubbed his back with my hands, waiting for him to finish. "I should've—we shouldn't have—I should've—Oh god…"

"It's okay. It's not your fault."

"We made a mistake, Maka."

"No," I cooed, finally letting someone hear my real thoughts on the matter at hand. "No. This wasn't a mistake, Soul. None of this was a mistake."

"Do you really think that?" he asked, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Yes."

"What do we do now?" I took a step back so I could look at him, still held firmly in his arms.

"I have to tell my father," I said. I'd said "I" because I didn't want Soul to think he was obligated to go.

"So, does this mean you're keeping it?" Soul asked, gently resting his warm hand on my stomach. I looked into his eyes.

"_I'm_ keeping it. That, in no way, means that you have to help. I'm not going to rope you into this, too." I looked down, unable to look into the eyes of the father of my child. He took a knuckle and lifted my face to look up at him.

"If we're going to do this, we're going to do it _together_. It takes two to tango, Maka. This is my child, too." His child. He was right. It was _his_ child. I was carrying the _child_ made with the help of the boy I was in love with. Not that he knew that. I smiled, suddenly feeling a little closer to the little parasite.

"All right, if you're coming, go get dressed. You don't have to come. You've never seen Papa angry."  
>"He runs around and yells a lot. He might attack me. I get it." Soul rolled his eyes and walked into his room. He was preparing for the wrong reaction.<p>

"If only, if only…" I muttered, not looking forward to this at all.

Upon arriving at my father's house, I almost lost my nerve and sent Soul home, but one look at his determined face stopped me. He needed to be here, whether I liked it or not. And I definitely _didn't_ like it. I sighed, shrugged, and knocked on the door. Papa greeted me exactly as I expected he would.

"Maka, my sweet angel! You've come to see your Papa at last! Come in, come in!" Then he noticed Soul. "What are you doing here, octopus head?"

"We have something we need to discuss with you, Papa," I answered for Soul, knowing he would've just given Papa some smartass remark. I gave him a warning look as Papa led us to the living room, where he offered us drinks (which we refused) and snacks (again, no). Papa was about to go get something else when I grabbed his arm.

"Papa, sit down. I need you to be serious."

As if sensing the aura of the room for the first time, Papa sat down in a chair beside us, looking expectantly at me. This was the Papa I'd feared would appear. I took in a shaky breath.

"Papa, do you remember what Professor Stein and I were talking about in the dispensary yesterday?" Suddenly Papa's eyes darkened. He was no longer the idiot who had cheated on my mother. He was my father, and he had connected the dots.

"How far along are you?" he asked, his voice becoming weary and almost sad. I blinked away the tears that welled up.

"Three weeks," I said, hearing my voice crack. Papa's face crumpled. I was hurting him.

"How long have you known?"

"I found out found out yesterday. I got the official test results back today." Everything got very quiet. I looked up to see Papa wasn't looking at me. He was staring at Soul. But he wasn't glaring, and that scared me even more.

"You're the father, I'm guessing," Papa prompted Soul, breaking the silence. Soul nodded, shell shocked. "I should've known. Maka wouldn't sleep with anyone else. God, haven't you two even heard of protection?" Papa muttered the last part to himself, but Soul opened his big mouth anyway.

"Deathscythe, we were drunk. Black*Star spiked the punch at his party." He wrapped an arm around my head. "She didn't know."

"And you did?" Papa raised his voice only a fraction. I winced. "You knew that there was alcohol in that drink, and you let her drink it? And you drank it yourself?"

"I asked her if she knew what she was drinking. She thought she did. I was only going to have one glass, but I got carried away…"

"And you, young lady. Why didn't you stop after you figured out what was in the drink. You're an intelligent girl. What happened there?"

"Papa, I was already drunk before I realized what was going on…" I trailed off. I wasn't ready for this conversation. I was only seventeen. At nineteen, _maybe_. Twenty? Yeah, sure. Twenty-one? Definitely. But seventeen? No. Not even close.

"And why didn't you stop him? You're a smart girl, Maka. You know when to say no."

"I actually don't remember any part of…_that_ part of the night. I'm so sorry, Papa…" Suddenly, I heard a sound I wasn't expecting. Papa chuckled. My head shot up, tears streaming down my face.

"That subpar, huh?" Papa muttered, making Soul blush furiously. I whispered an apology to him, but he ignored me. We sat in silence for what felt like hours before Papa stood up and walked over to me. He took my hand and pulled me into his arms, much like Soul had that morning.

"You fucked up, but I still love you," he muttered. That's when I lost it. Sobs racked my body as I apologized over and over again. Papa petted my hair as I cried, cooing and shushing, until I calmed down. When my fit was over, he looked over my head at Soul.

"What do you plan to do now?" he asked him, not looking back at me.

"I plan to be a father." Soul's answer surprised me. I didn't have time to comprehend what was going on before Papa was looking at me.

"And you? What do you plan to do, now?" I sat quietly for a moment, thinking it over. Would I give the parasite up for adoption? Or, would I even consider the other option…

"I plan to be a mother." Yes, I would consider it.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, this one is short. But hey, the last one was a long one. I freaking love how I ended this. I was originally going to have Soul and Maka tell the rest of the gang in this chapter, but I think this just needed to be a heart-warming one. Now, my notes. Let's see...<strong>

**1. All of Maka's worries about telling everyone (and the fact that she's been crying like a baby) I've taken from my personality. But at the same time, I think Maka would feel the same way. Me and the Maka in my head are very similar, but we also have our differences.**

**2. The Parasite: This is where Maka and I differ. At this point, I would already be referring to my child as "my baby", but I just don't think Maka's there yet. It doesn't feel real to her yet. She needs proof that there's a person swimming around in there, but just something feeding off of her. She's not cruel, she's just in shock. Don't worry, she'll warm up to the parasite eventually.**

**3. Deathscythe's calm demeaner: Believe it or not, Spirit Albarn just comes off as that spastic dad who gets really calm when he's angry. I can just see him going into dad mode when Maka is in trouble. We've seen it before, in one of the last anime episodes, he gets really quiet and calm while Maka is fighting Asura. Also, when he was fighting Medusa. True, he cried, but he didn't freak out and yell like an idiot. He acted like a parent. Which leads me to my next point, which will tie into here quiet nicely: Deathscythe's reaction. I honestly think he would freak out in a "angry parent" kind of way as opposed to his normal "indiot parent" kind of way. You feel me?**

**4. Spirit's comic relief: Oh, come on. Everyone and their dog is going to pick on Soul for the fact that Maka can't remember the night she got pregnant. It's a major sucker punch to the preverbial gonads, and I will use it again. But it will probably be used for the last time in the next chapter, where they tell the rest of the gang. You know, because Black*Star can't keep his freaking mouth shut. That's why he's never let into the loop until the last moment.**

**5. "You fucked up, but I still love you." This is literally what my Daddy told my sister the night he came home after hearing about it. He was on a business trip at the time, and when he got home, he was about to leave on a planned trip to Mexico with my Mama (they bought the tickets weeks prior to finding out) and he sat in the living room, wrapped her in his arms, and told her, "You fucked up, but I still love you." I'm going to be the first to say it: My daddy's perfect. :)**

**I know the ending was cheesy. I was freaking awesome and you know it. Yes, it was predictable. So is the ending to the story. But the raod that leads them to the end isn't, so bare (bear?) with me.**

**Gotta start the next chapter. Bysies!**


	5. Are You Guys Together?

"All right, next step: telling the others," I told Soul on our way home from Papa's. He was still a little shocked, but was recovering.

"Oh, god. How are we going to do that?" I pulled out my iPhone.

"We send out a mass-text for them to meet us at our house."

"You didn't."  
>"I did."<p>

"Ugh…When do they get here?"

"Any time now," I muttered sheepishly. Soul glared at me.

"I'm so not ready to talk to Black*Star about this. Not to mention the beating the girls are going to give me."

"Tsubaki isn't going to hit you."

His eyes widened. "She knows? Oh, wait. Of course she does. Tsubaki knows everything."

I laughed. "She was the first person I could think of to call after I got an idea of what was going on." I looked down, waiting for Soul to say something along the lines of, "What about me?" But he didn't.

"That's understandable," he said, looking straight ahead.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you first. I just…didn't know how," I mumbled my apology. Soul shook his head.

"No, I get it. It's cool. If I was in your shoes, I don't think I would have told me first either."

I smiled and took his hand in my own. We walked the rest of the way like that, just glad that we had each other.

The moment we got to the apartment, I wished I hadn't called everyone together. I sighed and sat everyone down, relaying the story I'd told Papa, feeling the tears filling my eyes again. Seriously, if I was going to cry this entire pregnancy, I'd rather have someone shoot me now. After I finished the story, everyone get really quiet. Suddenly, Black*Star's voice broke the silence.

"You couldn't remember anything from that night? Seriously? Soul, dude, that _has_ to hurt your ego. Now, had it been me, I'm such a big man that it'd be something Maka would never forget!" Everyone grabbed Black*Star's mouth, yanking him back into his seat. I could almost see the vein pop in Soul's head.

"She couldn't remember because she was so drunk she blacked out! It has nothing to do with me!" I grabbed Soul's arm, attempting to calm him down while all our friends laughed around us.

"But in all seriousness, what are you two planning on doing now? Are you going to get married? Drop out of the DWMA? What are you going to do from here?" Kid asked, using his "business" voice. Patty cut it.

"Kid and I will adopt him if you're putting him up for adoption," she announced. Kid nearly choked on his own saliva.

"Why are _we_ going to adopt their love child?" Kid asked incredulously. I knew I should've been offended, but I couldn't help the giggle the bubbled up inside me.

"We're not going to put it up for adoption. We're going to raise it."

"So, does that mean you guys are together?" Liz asked, her eyes almost penetrating my soul. I shrugged.

"We don't know yet," Soul answered. Liz raised an eyebrow at him.

"You don't know yet? Seriously? You two are having a baby, and you don't know if you're going to be together?" Liz was almost yelling now. "Be a man, Soul, and marry the poor girl. You owe it to her. You did knock her up."

"Liz, I don't know if I want to get married right now. We don't want to rush things. If we try to rush into a relationship and it goes south, how will we be able to raise a baby together? We won't be able to so much as look at each other, much less trust each other with our child. We need to take things slow for right now. All that matters is getting ready for the little para—baby to be born."

"Did you almost call your baby a parasite, Maka?" Kid interrupted me. My face flushed with embarrassment, and I looked away.

"I just—don't see it as my baby yet. I guess I'm still…"

"In shock," Tsubaki finished for me. I gave her a sad smile and took her outstretched hand. I was going to need all the support I could get.  
>"We're behind you guys 100 percent," Black*Star assured me. I smiled and gave him a huge hug, which he returned without saying a word. For once in his life, Black*Star didn't ruin the moment.<p>

Telling Lord Death was an entirely different story. All the way to the Death Room, I swore he was going to kick us out. Soul had a tight grip on my arm, keeping me from running away.

"Come on, Maka. We have to do this. He's gonna be pissed if he has to wait and find out with the rest of the school."

"Why are you so calm about this? Is being cool all that matters right now?" I practically screamed at him. Soul dragged me down a hall and pushed me into the lockers. He put both hands on either side of my head, trapping me there.

"I'm not trying to be cool right now, Maka. I'm trying not to freak out. That stupid book said that if I freak out, you'll freak out, and it could hurt the baby—,"

"Wait, wait. You read the baby book I bought?" Soul blushed.

"Maybe I read a few chapters. It doesn't matter. The point is if you freak out, then the baby's gonna freak out, too." Soul pushed himself off the wall and took my wrist, dragging me behind him again. But this time, I wasn't running away. I was staring at the back of his head, thinking about him sitting in his room, the book lying open on his lap. He'd read the baby book.

"What chapters did you read?" I asked quietly as we walked. Soul stiffened a little.

"Look, I just flipped through it and found a daddy section. I got a little curious so I read it. Sue me." Something in my mind clicked. Soul was going to be a father. In eight months. A child was going to call him "Daddy". I wondered when he made that connection, and why I hadn't made the same about myself yet.

Before I knew it, we were standing outside the Death Room, Soul pounding on the door. It opened, and Soul dragged me in.

"Lord Death, we have something important we need to discuss with you," Soul began, but Lord Death cut him off.

"Let's make this a lot easier on everyone. Maka's pregnant, and you two are here to see if you can still attend the academy. My answer is: of course you can! There's going to be a lot of speculation, Maka, but I'm not going to kick you out because of a decision you two made together. I do have a few conditions, though." Lord Death paused, and I took my opportunity to speak.

"Of course, Lord Death. Anything."

"When you begin to show, you will no longer be allowed to go on missions. If I find out you'd been hiding it and going on missions anyway, I'll put you on house arrest until the child is born. You two must also always have a babysitter, and if you can't find one, no missions. Also, I would like to see a written document with the names of the people who will take over for the two of you if, I forbid, anything were to happen to you. Understood?"

"Perfectly," I said, trying to hide my smile. Lord Death gestured for me to come closer.

"Congratulations, Maka. You're going to make a wonderful mother. Even better than yours before you, I'm sure."

I thought about that comment all the way home. Would I really make a better mother than my own? I thought about Mama, leaving me with Papa to travel the world. I mean, I understood why she left, really I do, but could I do that to my own child? Would I?

When we walked in the door, Blair picked me up and set me on the couch, pulling off my boots. She set them beside her neatly before turning back to me. She then began to rub my feet. Don't get me wrong, it felt amazing, but I pulled them away, looking Blair in the eyes.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice too cheery. Blair wriggled under my gaze.

"Rubbing your feet."

"Why?"

"Because your feet swell when you're pregnant."

"Blair, I'm not that far along yet." Her eyes widened.

"How far along are you?" She asked, continuing to rub my feet.

"Three weeks." I chuckled. There was so way I was getting through the next eight months like this.

"Oh, well, it's nice to have your feet rubbed anyway, right?" Blair asked, covering up her blunder.

"Yes, Blair. It's very nice."

* * *

><p><strong>God, I'm tired. So, here's chapter 5. Woo-hoo! I'm thinking there's going to be a big time skip in the next chapter. Like, a skip of a couple months. Yeah, I'll do that. <strong>

**It's not that I'm too tired to write more, it's I'm exhausting my plot and I don't want this to drag on too long.**

**Some notes for the chapter:**

**1. I was originally going to have Black*Star deck Soul in the face, but I think he kind of realizes that all of this is his fault. So, for once in his life, he's trying to stay out of the limelight.**

**2. I was listening to "Trailerhood" by Toby Keith while I wrote the part of the chapter where the rest of the gang finds out. It was going to be much crazier, but I kind of like how this turned out.**

**3. The fact that Soul and Maka aren't getting together right away is mostly because I watched "No Strings Attached" last night, and that's the kind of mood I'm in. Plus, Maka has a point. If her and Soul have a fall out, they aren't going to be able to raise the child together. I've seen it happen loads of times here. I told you, teen pregnancy is in the freaking water.**

**4. Soul and the baby book: I decided it would be infinitely cool if Soul read the daddy chapters in the baby book. So he did. Believe it or not, he's actually really excited to become a dad, but he's scared to show it. People might take it the wrong way.**

**5. Lord Death's Reaction: Literally, I heard his entire rant in his english silly voice, so obviously I did something right.**

**6. Maka's Mother: I'm kind of holding a grudged against her. Why the hell would you leave your child, who admires you, to go and travel the world? Stupid move, Ohkubo.**

**7. Blair sucking up: Blair was really just trying to help. She read the baby book, too. :)**

**That's all for this chapter. I haven't decided whether I'm going to bed or starting chapter six. It's one in the morning here. I'm just going to bed. I'll start chapter 6 tomorrow. Bysies.**


	6. Little Kicker

The next few weeks flew by. Stein had done an ultrasound when we first found out, and I kept the picture in my wallet so I could see the proof that there was something in there. Ten weeks along and I _still _couldn't call the little parasite a baby.

When we told everyone, we had agreed to keep my pregnancy a secret for as long as possible. I just wasn't ready to deal with everyone else knowing about the child that I was still almost in denial about. I ran my hand over my hardening stomach. Could there _really_ be a person in there?

On the way to school that morning, Soul had insisted that we hold hands. While I was fine with it, I almost felt like he was pushing himself. Just that morning he had opened doors, let me walk in first, made sure I didn't trip, and now he wanted to hold hands? I stopped walking.

"What's the matter, Maka?" Soul asked, his hand still clutching mine.

"Stop, stop. You don't have to do this, you know."

"Do what?" He was genuinely curious. I took a deep breath.

"This," I indicated our joined hands. "You don't have to force yourself. You can still be an outstanding father without being with the mother."

"But, what if I _want_ to do this? What if I _want_ to hold your hand?" My eyes widened.

"You do?"

"Sure I do. I've wanted to hold your hand for years." He grinned. I couldn't help it, I returned the smile.

"Well, that's a relief. At least I'm not the only one." Both of us laughed, and everything almost felt normal again. But then Black*Star showed up.

"HOW'S THE EXPECTANT MOTHER THIS MORNING?" He shouted, causing the rest of the gang to grab his mouth, effectively shutting him up.

"Black*Star! Nobody knows yet! You have to shut up!" Tsubaki scolded him. He got this guilty face, like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I had to bite back a laugh, and focus to remember why I was mad at him.

"Sorry, Tsubaki," he mumbled. "I thought that they would've announced it by now."

My chuckle was cut off. "Why would we announce it at all? Black*Star, this isn't exactly something to be proud of."

"I think it is."

Everyone stopped and stared at him. Black*Star's eyes had softened as he stared at my small, but unnoticeable, baby bump. He turned around and set his hand on my stomach, gently smiling as he did. The whole scene made Black*Star look much older, much wiser. I placed my hand on top of his.

"I think this little guy is something to be proud of. He's a miracle that God gave you. He's going to have Soul's eyes and Maka's hair, and ten fingers and toes. He'll have shark teeth, and be a bookworm. He's going to grow up in a home where his parents love him, even if they don't love each other."

I'd never seen Black*Star act so mature before, but I was distracted by the image he'd placed in my mind. I could _see_ him. My little parasite. Me reading bedtime stories to him. Soul teaching him how to play the piano. They would have little recitals for me, and I would laugh and clap, and give each one of them a kiss on the head. I would be a mother, and Soul would be a father, and we would be a _family_. That must have been what Black*Star was so worked up over, seeing as he'd been raised by Nygus and Sid as opposed to his parents.

"Thank you, Black*Star," I said, smiling warmly at him. He grinned back at me, and then I felt it. It felt like someone had hit my stomach from the inside, but it didn't hurt. Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Oh," I breathed, realizing what had happened. Black*Star, hands still on my belly, stared at it in wonder. Suddenly he picked himself up off the ground, grabbed Soul's hand, and set it on my stomach. Soul was about to pull away when the little one kicked again. His eyes became as wide as saucers, and he looked up at me.

"This…is mine?" he mumbled, mostly to himself. That's when I made the connection. The connection I'd been waiting seven weeks to make. This was _my_ child. I was its _mother_. I would be the one to sing it to sleep, give magic healing kisses to scraped knees and bruises, and calm it down when it was upset. I wrapped my arms around myself, protecting my little one, holding it as best I could. Suddenly, it couldn't be born fast enough.

"No," I answered him. His face shot up to look at me. "This is ours."

A few weeks later, my baby bump was big enough to be noticeable without the aid of an oversized shirt. My skirts no longer fit. Soul and I'd had an interesting experience in the maternity store, looking for clothes that would fit me.

"So, you're the father?" the woman running the store, Helga, her nametag read, asked, batting her eyelashes. Soul blushed, and I disguised my giggles as coughs. This was going to be _fun_.

"Uh, yeah," Soul answered, clearing his throat when she didn't answer, preferring to stare at him. "I need some clothes for my meister." We hadn't established a label for what we were yet (other than "expectant parents"), so we just referred to each other as "my meister" or "my weapon". The clerk's eyes sparkled, and she laughed.

"It's just wonderful to see the father involved at all. I mean, you too are so _young_."

I hated hearing that. Ever since I'd started showing, random women on the street would comment on how _young_ I was. They'd ask stupid questions like "Are you still in school?" (Yes, ma'am. I plan on graduating top of my class.) "Where is the father?" (At home, waiting for me.) "Are you two married?" (No, ma'am. We haven't thought that far ahead.)

I chewed on my lip and ignored the comment, looking around for anything I might like. There were plenty of clothes I was willing to wear, but what really caught my eye were the sweatpants. I had worn nothing else since I grew out of my skirts, and these looked infinitely more comfortable. I walked over to them, running my hand over the soft fabric. Something odd caught my eye.

"What's this?" I asked, pulling on the strange, stretchy part sewn on to the top of the pants. The clerk chuckled.

"It's a waistband so you can wear them, even at full term. They're terribly comfortable. Why don't you try on a pair?"

And that's just what I did. I tried on a few pairs. They were so comfortable, and cheap, too. The clerk, Helga, brought it a few shirts for me to try on. Then she brought "the belly".

"This goes over your stomach so we can see how you'll look when you're much bigger." Noticing my wary look, she added, "It won't affect the baby at all. How far along are you?"

I grunted as we slid the artificial belly over my growing one. "Thirteen weeks."

"Wow, you're barely showing at all. Has the baby had any movement?"

"We felt it kick for the first time at ten weeks."

"Good, good. He's going to be a fighter. There, all done."

I looked in the mirror, but didn't recognize the reflection. The woman in the mirror had my hair, pulled back into pigtails, and my eyes, but her body was wrong. Her stomach bulged away from her body, but she looked beautiful and radiant. The pigtails kind of ruined it, though. I reached my hands up to my head, pulling the hair ties out. My hair fell down, and I used my fingers to brush it out. When I looked in the mirror again, there stood a happy, expectant mother.

"You are very beautiful. This child is going to be perfect."

Yes, my baby would be perfect.

* * *

><p><strong>I was going to make this chapter much longer, but I changed my mind. I like where I ended it. I was hoping you guys would notice she said, "My baby" as opposed to "my parasite". Yay! Mama Maka makes her first appearance!<strong>

**Notes on the chapter:**

**1. I was going to have Maka be at home the first time the baby kicked, lying on the couch, but I changed my mind. See, the first time I saw my nephew kick, my sister was lying on the couch, watching TV. I walked into the room to go get something, and I saw the bulge pop out of my sister's stomach. I near about had a heart attack. The first thing out of my mouth was, "Oh, my god! He kicked!" My sister just raised her eyebrow at me, like I was stupid. Sorry, story time is over. Ok, back to the story at hand.**

** I chose Black*Star to be the first to feel the little one kick because he was already there, and I could just see the look on his face. Freaking priceless. And I made Black*Star mature because I think he has a think for babies and their parents. Since he wasn't raised by his own, I think Black*Star would want the little one to be raised my it's parents. And, yes, no matter how obnoxious he is, Black*Star would in fact keep him mouth shut if his friends asked him to. Go read the newer chapters of Soul Eater if you don't believe me that he's grown up.**

**2. Maka finally made the connection that the little nudger (I've wanted to use that phrase since I read it in Breaking Dawn) is in fact her baby! She's finally realized that she's going to be a mother. Freaking took her long enough... haha.**

**3. The stretchy part of the pants: No, I didn't make that up. I think my sister still has a pair of those sweatpants lying around. And that is why it's there.**

**4. Maka's pigtails!: Yes, I made her take them out. You can't tell me it wouldn't look god-awful for her to wear them with a huge belly. She'd look like a twelve-year-old, as opposed to a seventeen-year-old. And no, Maka will not be wearing her pigtails again. That ship has sailed.**

**Well, that's all for this chapter. Time to start on the next one. God, I am on a roll. Bysies!**


	7. Whore

I was about three months along. I'd had to start wearing maternity shirts. Then the day finally came. The day I'd been dreading. Someone at school had finally figured out what was going on.

"Maka, are you pregnant?" A girl I studied with in the library, Sarah, whispered to me one day. I thought about burying my head in shame, but what Black*Star had said about my little one flashed through my mind.

_"I think he's something to be proud of."_

"Yes," I'd answered confidently, keeping my face held high. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Oh, no! I was just wondering. I'll see you around, Maka!" She'd scurried off, not looking back. That was the last time I'd spoken to her, as she took to avoiding me in the halls and the library.

I was walking through the halls, thinking about how bored I was now that I couldn't go on missions, when a boy stopped me.

"So, heard you got knocked up." I looked up to see Killik and Ox standing in my way. These were two people I did _not_ want to discuss this situation with, especially not Ox, but my pride kept my head level as I nodded. My eyes sparkled with fury. They dared them to say something, anything, condescending to me.

"Who's the father?" Ox asked, looking smug. I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. If he thought for one second that I was going to lose my spot as top of the class because of this, he was _wrong_. I opened my mouth to tell him exactly where he could shove it, when Soul's voice cut me off.

"I am." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, trying to protect me from the eyes of the students around us. By now, everyone in the halls had stopped to listen. Feeling their eyes on me, I buried my face in Soul's shoulder, trying to disappear.

After Soul's hallway confession, I heard a lot of gasps (mostly girls), and a few growls (again, girls). Soul used my shoulders to steer me as he walked me out of the hall, not looking back. With all the death glares the girls around me were giving me, I started to fear for my life. But, at the same time, I knew I couldn't have Soul escort me around for the rest of my life.

I went through my day like normal, not letting my head fall once. In my classes with Soul, I hung out with him. In my meisters-only classes, I sat and talked with Kid and Black*Star. The next few weeks went by without a hitch, until I was sitting in class next to Tsubaki one day and a note hit my head.

I flipped around to look for who threw it, about to give them a piece of my mind, but no one was looking at me. No one was even laughing. I picked up the note and opened it.

So, you think that you can claim him for yourself?

Think again.

Meet me outside the school, under the big oak tree after class.

I sighed in agitation. Tsubaki, who'd been reading the note over my shoulder, frowned in distain at it. After class, as I gathered my books, Tsubaki leaned over and whispered to me:

"Don't worry. I'll be right behind you."

That gave me a little bit of courage. I walked out to the big oak tree, only to be greeted by a blonde-haired bimbo that I'd never cared enough about to learn her name.

"You know why you're here, correct?" her nasally voice was grating on my eardrums, and she sounded like a child trying to use big words. I sincerely hoped the books were wrong and my little one couldn't hear anything but the sound of my heart yet. I didn't want it to have to suffer as I did.

"Let me guess, you're going to tell me to leave the school, because my 'filth' isn't wanted here? I've been waiting for you, sweetheart. You took too long."

The girl sputtered in outrage, glaring at me. I sighed and let my mind wander, not even listening anymore. Her voice was giving me a headache.

"No, that's not why you're here!" she all about shrieked. That caught my attention.

"Then why am I here?" I asked, suddenly curious. Hey, I like it when people surprise me.

"I don't know what you did to get Soul to sleep with you, whore, but none of us are going to take that lying down!" Woah, now. What I did to get him to sleep with me? Last time I checked it had been a mutual agreement, seeing as how he was the only one who remembered what had happened. I lifted an eyebrow at the girl.

"Look, honey. I didn't do anything. True, we were both drunk-,"

"Hah! She admits it! She spiked his drink!"

"I was drunker than him," I added, feeling a vein begin to pop.

"He took pity on you!" Hah, there. She'd run herself into a wall.

"Oh, so you're saying it was his idea?" I asked, my voice smooth as honey. She blushed, realizing her mistake.

"No! It's all on you! You got him drunk and he couldn't say no!"

"Look, dude. I've seen Soul drunk before. I've seen him so drunk he couldn't walk straight, and _still_ push bimbos like you off of him. He has no trouble saying no when he's drunk. Trust me."

This really made her turn red. Suddenly, she raised a hand. At first, I thought she was going to slap me. It was understandable, I _had_ pissed her off, but she didn't.

She lowered her hand slowly, her eyes narrowing. This scared me more than if she'd just hauled off and decked me. Her brown eyes met my green ones, and I felt a shudder run through me.

"You may have everyone convinced that you're so innocent, but I know what you really are. I know this is your fault. You're trying to trap him. You were jealous of all the partner requests he was getting, now that he's a deathscythe and doesn't _need_ you. Not that he needed you to begin with. Quite frankly, I don't think anyone needs you."

I felt my heart begin to crack, knowing she was telling me all my worst fears. I looked away from her, trying to hide the emotions crossing my face. She was right. I _was_ trapping him. I knew that. And I knew that he didn't need me. And I was scared of the day he would leave, because when that day came, I would be all alone. My knees were beginning to feel weak, but just as they were about to give someone caressed my elbow gently, keeping me upright. I already knew who it was even before he said a word.

"Maka, what are you doing in a place like this? We were supposed to meet up to go home together ten minutes ago." I kept my face down, knowing it was red from my effort to hold in tears. Just because they came easy nowadays didn't mean I was going to let that blonde bitch see them.

"Soul! What are you doing here? Me and Maka were just talking about how cute the baby is going to look," said bitch stammered, announcing her presence. Soul was quiet for a moment.

"You know, being partners, Maka and I have a lot in common. You know what the biggest thing we have in common is?"

"What?" she asked sweetly. From the sound of her voice, I could tell she was leaning in, as Soul's voice had dropped.

"We both hate liars." With that, he turned me away. When we were far enough away, he finally broke the weighted silence between us. "Are you okay?"

It took every ounce of self-control I had, but I was smiling when I looked up at him. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"It's okay, you don't have to hide it, you know. You can tell me if something's bothering you."

"I know, and nothing is."

"Come on, Maka," he groaned. He stopped us and leaned down to my level, meeting my eyes. "You know everything that girl just said is a lie, right?"

I glanced up, surprised.

"You're not trapping me or anything. I'm here because I want to be. And I _do_ need you. So, don't let her get you down." I smiled for real.

"I know." All of the self-pity I felt melted away.

"So, you gonna kick her ass later?" he asked wryly, his eyes twinkling.

"Nah, not worth my time. Plus, what's the point? I'd just be stooping down to her level."

"You know, you're going to be a wonderful mother, Maka." I leaned forward and kissed his nose.

"And you're going to be a wonderful father."

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, guys. I finally did it. I rewrote this chapter! I hated this chapter. Bane of my existence is what it was. But now I really like what I did with it. I feel like it's much more believable now. Hope you guys appreciate it as much as I do!<strong>

**By the way, thank you for everyone who still reads this and reviews it even though it's two years old! It means so much to me! You guys are what keep me writing. :)**


	8. Genders

It had been five months since we found out I was pregnant. I was really starting to show, and I was feeling extremely lazy. I sprawled myself out on the couch, head elevated by the arm rest. Soul walked into the room, falling down onto the end of the couch. I pulled my feet up just in time, narrowly avoiding them being crushed by my partner.

"Oof," I muttered as the couch bounced underneath me. Soul smiled. I set my feet in his lap, and he began rubbing them out of habit. He'd taken Blair's job about the time my feet actually started swelling. Blair now preferred to stay in cat form and lay on top of my belly. She was nowhere to be found at the moment.

"Where's Blair?" I asked, lazily looking around the living room.

"Work," Soul replied, still massaging my feet. God, it felt good. My little one kicked inside my stomach, showing its appreciation. I grunted at its strength, and Soul gave me a concerned look.

"The force is strong with this one," I said, rubbing my tummy. My little one kicked in response. I smiled. "Oh, that reminds me. I have an ultrasound appointment today. Stein said he was going to let me know the gender, so I'm really excited. Do…do you want to come?" I mumbled the last part, embarrassed. Soul had come to one or two ultrasound appointments, but mostly he was busy at the school. He _was_ a deathscythe, after all. Mostly Tsubaki, Liz, and Patty accompanied me. Today, though, they were too busy.

"Yeah, sure. It'd be nice to finally meet my daughter." I raised both eyebrows.

"Your _daughter_?" I asked skeptically. Soul blushed.

"Yes, daughter. I think we're having a girl." My heart skipped a beat when he said "we're". I was still in shock that he wanted to raise this child with me.

"Well, I have a woman's intuition, and I say it's a boy," I said, sticking my tongue out at him. He glared at me playfully.

"You wanna bet?"

"Do you really want to bet with me on this?" I asked, laughing a little. Soul smirked at me.

"Afraid you'll lose?" he asked ruefully. I punched him lightly.

"Only afraid to see you cry when you're wrong."

"All right, it's a bet. I bet that the little one is a girl. You bet that it's a boy."

"What's the wager?" I couldn't believe it. I was actually flirting with my weapon partner. On purpose! And he was flirting back! But, then again, I was six months pregnant with his child, so…

"The loser has to cook tonight." Ooh, I liked this wager. It was my night to cook, and I _really_ didn't feel like it.

"You're on."

All the way to the hospital, Soul and I argued why we believed the baby was which gender. Soul thought it was a girl because it was strong, like its mother. I countered that, grudgingly, by saying boys are physically stronger than girls. Then I backed myself up by saying that its soul wavelength felt similar to his. Soul smiled (he was tickled pink that I could sense the baby's wavelength), and argued that that could just be because it was his child, too. At that point, I rolled my eyes and walked ahead of him into the hospital. Soul was as stubborn as a mule, so I knew there was no way I was going to convince him of anything until the ultrasound told us the results.

"Ah, Maka. Welcome back," Stein welcomed me. I no longer referred to him as my professor; he was considered a family friend, now.

"Good to be back. Listen, Soul and I have a little wager going on. He thinks the baby's a girl, while I think it's a boy. What do you think?" I asked ruefully. Stein smiled and led us into the ultrasound room.

"I think we should let the results speak for themselves." I lied down on the hospital bed, pulling my shirt up over my tummy. Stein squeezed some of the jelly onto my stomach, spreading it around with the wand. I turned my attention to the screen.

Within a few minutes, an image appeared. My little one was lying on its back, mouth opening and closing as it practiced breathing. I heard Soul's breath hitch in his chest. He slid his hand into mine, holding it tight. I looked over at him to see a soft smile spread across his face. He looked so beautiful, watching his child float around on the screen that my own breath caught in my throat. This boy—no, man—had helped me create the life I was carrying. We were both snapped from out reveries by Stein's voice.

"Are you ready to hear the gender?" he asked, looking at us expectantly. We nodded. "Soul," he began. Soul got this stupid smirk on his face, "I'm sorry, you lost the bet. It's a boy."

"Yes!" I cheered, pumping my free fist in the air.

"What? I was so sure…" Soul trailed off. Then he looked at me. "What do you want for dinner?" He asked in defeat. I decided not to rub in the fact that I won.

"Anything's fine. Just…no fish. Okay?" He smiled.

"Ok."

When we got home, Blair ran up to me.

"So, who won?" she asked, barely able to contain her excitement.

"I did. Duh," I replied, grinning at Soul. He ignored me.

"What's wrong with him?" Blair pointed at Soul, indicating the sour-puss.

"Oh, he's just butt hurt because I won." We heard a muffled "Shut up!" from the kitchen. Blair and I laughed and walked into the living room, where I opened my backpack and began my homework.

Soul ended up making chicken strips with mashed potatoes, and all three of us sat at the table. As I filled my plate, Blair tilted her head.

"Have you always eaten that much, Maka?" She inquired, staring at the mountain of food.

"No, I'm eating for two now, remember?" I answered, trying not to be sensitive about someone noticing. It did bother me that I was eating more. I'd gained around twenty pounds since conception.

"Oh, right." Blair returned to her food, complimenting Soul on what a great job he did. I sighed, trying to ignore the jealousy building in my chest. Just because I was carrying his child didn't make Soul mine. I sighed again. Oh well. I shrugged to myself and finished eating. If I hadn't been too busy stuffing my face, I would've noticed Soul staring at me.

After dinner, I went back into the living room to finish my homework. I only had a worksheet left, so I finished it off quickly, letting my mind wander when I was done. I'd been doing that a lot lately, getting lost in my thoughts. This time, I was thinking about Soul.

_Should I just tell him that I love him? I mean, I am pregnant with his son. Does that automatically make him mine? No, that's not right. If having a child meant you were stuck in a monogamous relationship, Papa wouldn't have cheated on Mama. But they did get married before having me. No, don't think that! I don't want to trap Soul in a marriage that might not even work out! No matter how much I love him… It's because I love him that I won't do that to him. If he wants to be with someone else…_ I was yanked from my thoughts when Soul put his hand on my shoulder.

"Maka, are you okay? You were zoning out."

"Oh, huh? I'm fine!" I gave him my best smile, but he didn't buy it.

"You can tell me what's wrong, you know. I'll listen. You don't have to keep it to yourself all the time."

"It's nothing, really. I'm only worried about what it's going to be like after he's born, that's all." I rubbed my belly, feeling miserable. Would Soul really stay with me? No, he'd get married to someone else and move out. We'd have to split child support and custody. I sighed, feeling on the verge of tears.

"Maka, I'm not going anywhere." He moved so that he was eye level with my stomach. "Don't worry about that far into the future. For right now, I'm going to stay with you and our son." He pressed his lips to my tummy, earning a kick from the little one. Soul's lips pulled back into a heart-warming smile, and he rested his forehead against me. I set my hands on top of his head, drinking on the moment. This must have been what pure happiness felt like. I closed my eyes, savoring it, thinking:

_Please, don't let it go away._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8! I would have Kid narrate this author's note, but that'd be really dumb, so I'm just going to do it myself.<strong>

**Seriously, I was going to put Kid in this chapter. I'm always doing that, wanting to make chapter 8 Kid's chapter, then forgetting what chapter I'm on and being too happy with the result to change it. Thinking about it, I could've written Kid's chapter, then made this chapter 9, but I'm WAY too lazy. Oh well.**

**Now, for some notes on this chapter:**

**1. Yes, Soul has the habit of rubbing Maka's feet. He has this habit because he's cool. That's why.**

**2. I wanted there to be an arguement (argument?) over the gender of the baby, so Soul decided he was having a girl. Originally, I was going to have Maka have twins, but I decided against it. That would just be too over the top.**

**3. Maka is conflicted because she's been in love with Soul since before he knocked her up (vulgur, but true). Now she's too afraid to tell him. Oh well.**

**I have an entire list of things that I want to add to this story. So far, my list includes:**

**Someone calling Maka a whore (check)**

**Soul kissing Maka's belly (check)**

**Soul and Maka arguing over names**

**Soul and Maka arguing over genders (check)**

**Soul and Maka shopping for baby stuff (semi-check)**

**The baby shower (I'm freaking excited for this one)**

**Turning Maka's room into the baby's room**

**The Epilogue**

**I think I'm going to add random shenanigans of the day. I'm about to run out to a red box and pick up Paranormal Activity 2 to watch with my friend tonight. Too bad I'm only 16, and not old enough to rent it. Whatever, all red box does is ask if you are aware that you have to be 18 to rent the movie. My seventeen-year-old sister rented "No Strings Attached" for us the other night (it was an awesome movie. I recommend it), so whatever. It's not like anyone tells the truth about their age anymore anyway. Those are my shenanigans for this evening. But I'm curious, have you guys ever pulled shenanigans like that? (Of course you have, don't lie.)**

**Well, that's all for this chapter. Bysies!**


	9. Names, Cribs, and Clothes Oh My!

"What about Christopher?"

"No…"

"George?"

"Uh-uh…"

"Achmed?" My head snapped up.

"What?" I asked, laughing. Soul smirked.

"Just making sure you're paying attention." We were sitting on the couch looking over 100,000+ Baby Names, trying to name our son.

"Hmm… I like Michael," I said, flipping through the "M"s. Soul turned the name over in his head.

"Michael, huh? I like it, but for a middle name." I thought this over.

"Yeah, you're right. Now all we need to figure out is his first name."

"What about his last name?" I froze. I forgot that I hadn't told Soul I was giving our little one his name. I coughed, trying to hide my blush.

"It's tradition for the baby to take the father's name," I said, not looking at him.

"But we're not married, so shouldn't he have his mother's name? I'm sure your dad would appreciate it."

"That's it; he's definitely getting your name now." Soul sighed, chuckling a bit.

"Okay, he'll have my name. Blank Michael Evans. I like it." I punched him in the arm, laughing. I resumed my browsing. Then, a name came to me.

"Benjamin," I muttered, letting the name roll off my tongue.

"What?" Soul asked, distracted. I ignored him.

"Benjamin Michael Evans." It had a ring to it. A ring I liked. My little one kicked when I said the name; he liked it, too.

"Did you say something?" Soul asked, looking at me. I grinned from ear to ear at him.

"Benjamin Michael Evans," I repeated, saying proudly now. Soul lifted an eyebrow. "The baby's name. I like Benjamin Michael Evans."

"Benjamin Michael Evans," Soul muttered, getting used to it. The baby kicked again.

"Ben likes his name," I commented, rubbing my swollen belly. Soul leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.

"So do I."

"All right, we can't buy too much, okay? The baby shower is in a month, and I don't want to have too much stuff," I reminded Soul for the umpteenth time that day on the way to the baby store. Soul rolled his eyes.

"I know, Maka."

"I'd like to pick out a crib today, since we haven't yet. We really should have earlier," I mumbled. Soul looked down at me.

"You're really excited about this, aren't you." I blushed.

"Not—not really." He laughed, taking my hand in his.

"I am, too."

We walked into the store, and I immediately regretted going. All of the women in the store were much older than me, holding the hands of their husbands. All of the gold rings winked at me, taunting me. I tried to stare anywhere else.

"What can I do for you today?" an associate, Judy, greeted us. I noticed her glance down at my empty left hand.

"We need some baby furniture. You know-a crib, dresser, things like that." I grabbed Soul's arm.

"Soul, we don't need a dresser. Ben can use mine." Soul's eyebrow lifted in inch.

"I figured we'd just move your dresser into my room."

"There won't be room," I argued. "What about my bed?"

"We can sell it. Either yours or mine. We'll share," he replied, not even phased. I, on the other hand, felt a blush creep across my face.

"Share? Are you sure?" I searched his face for any sign that he was joking, but all I found was confusion.

"Uh, yeah? I mean, you're already pregnant. What other shenanigans can we possibly get into?" I felt a smile cross my face. Judy, though, looked mortified.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, how old are the two of you?" Soul's face twitched. He hated that question about as much as I did.

"Eighteen," he answered her, head held high.

"Seventeen," I choked out, hating giving away the fact that I was still underage. My birthday wasn't for another three months, and Ben would be here by then.

"Oh, are you two married?" She stole another look at my hand. Judy was really starting to irk me. I opened my mouth to give her an answer, but Soul cut me off, covering my mouth with his hand.

"Not yet." I raised an eyebrow at him. He shrugged. Judy seemed pleased with the answer.

"Waiting until she's of age?" she asked, ignoring me now.

"Yeah," Soul answered, startling me. Did he really mean that, or was he just telling her what she wanted to hear…? "Come along, Maka, dear. We have shopping to do."

Oh yeah, he was just telling Judy what she wanted to hear. I let him drag me away from her, but my feet froze when something caught my eye. It was a beautiful crib, white with blue stars on it, but that wasn't what sold me. It was the price. It was so _cheap_.

"I just found Ben's crib," I informed Soul, pointing it out. He scrutinized it for a moment.

"Yeah, it looks pretty cool." He lifted the tag to look at the price. "And I don't think we're going to get a better deal than that." He called Judy over (seriously, I'm convinced that woman was stalking us) and told her we'd take it. After she wheeled the crib away, we went browsing through the clothes, Soul picking out all the outfits he thought were cool enough. By the time we left, we'd spent 300 dollars.

"Well, that was eventful," I said when we walked outside; renting the basket to carry everything we bought home.

"We still have one more stop," Soul said, steering me away from home. We started walking the opposite direction, Soul and I pushing the basket together. My confusion grew when I saw the car dealership.

"Why are we here?" I asked, turning toward him. Soul looked away from me.

"We can't carry a baby around on a motorcycle. It's not safe." I used all my strength to stop the basket.

"No," I said forcefully. Soul turned to look at me, shocked. "You are not getting rid of the motorcycle. I forbid it." He opened his mouth to try and persuade me, but I cut him off. "That thing is your pride and joy, and I'm not going to let you throw the happiness it gives you away. If you want to buy a car, more power to you, but you better keep that motorcycle. We'll pay car payments like normal people. Do you understand me?" I asked, using my mother voice. Soul's mouth was gaping open. He moved his lips a couple times, trying to form words, but nothing came out. I stomped ahead of him, hearing him grunt as he pushed the basket to catch up with me.

"Do you mean it? I can keep the motorcycle?" he asked, soundly almost child-like.

"Of course you can keep it! What gave you any other idea?" Soul blushed.

"Well, I was just thinking about how Deathscythe was commenting on my future parenting skills in the Death Room the other day, and I figured I ought to start acting like a parent, that's all."

"And you got all that from listening to Papa? Since when if my father a model parent? Since when are either of my parents model parents, for that matter? Soul, you're going to be a wonderful father on your own. You don't need someone to tell you how to do it. But, I have to say, I was going to go out and buy a car soon, anyway," I added sheepishly, not looking at him. I heard him laugh and he took my hand in his.

"Let's go get that Mommy-mobile!" he cheered, and pulled me forward. I thought about chopping him, but decided against it, just this once.

An hour later, we were back at the apartment, an old but still safe four door car parked outside. When I went out to drive it to school the next morning, I discovered Blair had left a gift on the back window. In the bottom right-hand corner were four stick figures. There was a Daddy, a Mama, a cat, and a baby. Underneath them, written in the dirt, it said:

Daddy Soul, Mama Maka, Baby Ben, and Kitty Blair

The Evans/Albarn Family

Right before I went to start the car, I reached up and erased "Albarn" from the note. Even if my name wasn't Evans, I would pretend, if only for a moment.

* * *

><p><strong>I don't feel like doing notes for this chapter. I kind of think it speaks for itself. I would like to say that there is another Juno reference in there. Ten points to whoever gets it. Also, guess who's back! That's right, Ben! Even though in my songfics he was born after Soul and Maka got married, I decided I didn't feel like creating YET ANOTHER OC for this fandom. I freaking hate it when people do that. Also, my shenanigan of the day is I bought an adorable pair of skinny jeans and a shirt from JCPenny today. I applied for a job there, but the stupid computer told me that I answered the questions wrong for the job I applied for, and that I couldn't re-apply for 180 days. Fuuuuck. I guess all I can do is keep applying to other places. Like I have been. For the past few months. Oh well.<strong>

**Anyway, I'm gonna go now. I might not update again until tomorrow, but there should only be about three chapters left! Oh noes! We're almost done, and I've only been writing this story for three days. Who knows, maybe I'll start another, longer one after this. Tell me what you think.**

**Bysies!**


	10. Furniture and Baby showers!

"All right, I want the crib over here, next to the window, where my bed used to be," I directed Soul and Black*Star. I had a _really_ bad feeling about letting Black*Star help Soul move the crib into my old room, but I didn't really have a choice. If I'd asked Liz or Patty, Kid would've come over, and we wouldn't have gotten anything done. He probably would've sat in the corner and obsessed over the symmetry of Ben's room as opposed to the task at hand. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but he just wasn't what I needed right now.

"Perfect," I sighed in relief, glad that Black*Star didn't break anything.

"Well of course it's perfect, Maka. The great Black*Star was the one who put it there!" Black*Star cheered, jabbing his thumb at himself. I rolled my eyes and moved on to the next order of business.

"Okay, next we have to move the dresser. I don't want it there," I said, indicating the white dresser Soul had bought at the baby store the day before. He had insisted on moving my dresser into his room, and we'd already sold my bed. I was thinking about selling the desk, but before I could Soul moved it into his room, too. Needless to say, Soul's room was getting crowded.

"Can we take a break, Maka? I'm parched," Soul complained, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, of course. I made lemonade, let me pour you a glass." I turned to leave, but turning was not an easy feat at this point. I was seven months along, and the huge belly made it difficult to move.

"It's okay, I'll do it," Black*Star offered. It seemed whenever I needed any help concerning the baby, Black*Star was always the first to volunteer. Honestly, it was the only time I'd really seen him act his age. Oh well, at least it calmed my fears about how he would act around the baby.

"Thank you, Black*Star," I said gratefully. My feet ached from standing for so long. I'd been on my feet since after breakfast, helping the boys in the only way I could.

"Maka, why don't you sit down?" Soul asked, concerned. I looked up at him.

"I want you guys to put Ben's stuff in the right place. It's called Feng Shui." Soul laughed.

"I think that the Decorator can take a small break to rest her swollen feet," he retorted playfully. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Oh course, you _had_ to remind me." I smiled and walked into the living room, carefully sitting on the couch. The baby made a lot of things difficult, standing up and sitting down being two of them.

"Want me to rub your feet?" Soul offered. I waved him away.

"No, I want you and Black*Star to put that dresser beside the crib. While you guys are doing that," I heaved myself off the couch, "I'm going to fold Ben's clothes so we can put them in there when you're done." I saw the look he gave me. "Don't worry, I'll sit right here on the couch while I do it."

I walked back into Ben's room, grabbed the bags of clothes, then let Black*Star usher me out. I waddled back to the couch where I began folding them. Soon, my mind began to wander once again, but this time, I wasn't thinking about Soul. I was thinking about my son. Who would he be? Would he have my eyes or Soul's? His or my hair? I was just so excited to meet him. I wanted to hold him, sing him to sleep, and dance with him. I put my hands on my belly, rocking back and forth slightly, humming. I nearly jumped out of my skin when Black*Star came back into the room.

"You have a really pretty voice. Why don't you ever sing for us?"

"Because I'm not that good. I was just singing to the baby."

"Whatever, we're done in Little B's room. And I do have to say, the great Black*Star has outdone himself!" Black*Star puffed out his chest, pride practically radiating from him. I laughed and got off the couch, carrying the basket of clothes. Black*Star reached for it, but I swatted his hand away.

"I can carry a basket of clothes, Black*Star, it isn't going to kill me!" I said, frustration getting to me. It really was starting to annoy me how much people were babying me.

"Okay, okay, don't bite my head off, Mama Bear!" Ugh, that stupid nickname. Patty had started it three weeks earlier and, much to my chagrin, it stuck. I rolled my eyes, waddling past him. "Or maybe we should call you Mama Duck!" Black*Star shouted. I smacked him upside the head as I walked by. He was really starting to get on my nerves now.

"Thanks for the help, Black*Star. You can go now," Soul cut in, also attempting to take the basket. I smacked his hand, too.

"Okay, man. Bye Soul. Bye Mama Duck!"

"Get out!" I screeched, and Black*Star was gone. He knew better than to mess with Mama. Soul just chuckled, but left me alone for the rest of the day.

"Come _on_! We were supposed to be at Kid's twenty-minutes ago!" I called to Soul, who was taking his sweet time walking to the mansion.

"Hey, I wasn't the one who had to pee before we left," he retorted, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Only because the fruit of your loins was stepping on my bladder again!" I snapped, only to have the wind knocked out of me.

"Maka, are you okay?" Soul was by my side in seconds, forgetting about the fact that we were just fighting.

"Yeah, Ben just decided to stretch, and stretched into my lungs." I took big gulps of air, making up for what my baby pushed out. Since my due date was nearing, and I'd started having contractions, Soul was at my side at all times. My contractions were freaking the kids at school out, so Lord Death had Stein put me on bed rest. But between you and me, I really didn't mind.

We arrived at the mansion a few minutes later, Kid throwing open the door as we walked up.

"How can you two be late to your _own baby shower_?" Kid asked, thoroughly annoyed. Soul rolled his eyes.

"Baby stepped on Maka's bladder. Then, he kicked her lungs, like, three times on the way here. Sorry," Soul explained, apologizing for his son's hold ups. Kid just smiled.

"Don't worry, you aren't too late. I expected you here eight minutes ago. At least you were a symmetrical amount of minutes late. Any less or more and I would've cancelled the party!" We all laughed, though Soul and I were sure he was serious. "Come in, come in!"

As we were ushered in, Patty greeted my tummy first.

"Hello, Benji! How are you today?"

"Please, _please_ don't call him Benji. That name is so uncool," Soul pleaded. I gave a grimace in agreement. Patty began to pout, but one look from Liz got her to grudgingly agree.

"How are you?" Liz asked, giving me a hug.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired from the walk over here." Liz's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You made her _walk_ here? She's seven months pregnant, Soul!" She cried, glaring at Soul.

"It was her idea!" he countered. I nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry about it. I wanted to stretch my legs. Plus, the mansion isn't that far from the apartment. And it's such a beautiful day. Taking the car would've ruined it." Everyone shrugged.

"All right, let's get this party started!" Black*Star called. After that, everything went perfectly. We played pin the tail on the donkey (Kid spent an hour trying to figure out how to symmetrically put the tail on with a blindfold over his eyes. We all agreed it would've taken twice as long if he'd had his eyes open), that game where you guess the measurement of my belly (to everyone's, but my, surprise, Soul won that game. I'd bet money on the fact that he won because he hugs me all the time), and opened presents. We got a couple pairs of giraffe print pajamas from Patty, a bouncer from Liz, burp cloths from Kid, an entire bag of clothes from Black*Star, and an entire bag of burp cloths from Tsubaki (you can never have too many of those).

As we were leaving, everyone hugged us and told us how much fun they'd had. My heart felt warm from having so much fun. I couldn't believe that I could have this much happiness come out of such a stupid decision. Sure, everyone at school called me a whore behind my back. Yeah, I had my moments where I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything because I felt fat. Yes, everyone stared at my stomach as opposed to my face. But that's not what mattered. What mattered was the happiness that my baby brought me and Soul. The happiness that he brought my father, and my friends. At that moment, I realized my baby was not some mistake. He was just as Black*Star had said: a miracle. This little boy growing in my tummy was sent by Lord Death himself to rescue me, to tell me that good things can come from bleak situations. And as I walked home hand in hand with Soul that night, I let my mind go into the future, and let myself dream of the day when the three of us could walk together, as a family.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I know this chapter is a little short, but the next one is hella long. Like, seven pages on word long. Now, there's something I want to discuss with all of you. I know I've told you that Baby Mine would have three chapters (including this one) left, but I lied. I do that a lot. There's only one more chapter left, and I'm going to upload it right after this one. The mysterious last chapter that I didn't include was supposed to be an epilogue, but I think I'm going to make it the first chapter of the next story I'm going to begin writing, which is a sequel to this one. Thank you to QuilavaKing for hatching the idea in my head for this next series. There are also a few shout outs I'd like to make.<strong>

**Thank you to:**

**NikolaiEvans115 (I read your fanfiction before you reviewed and LOVED it. Sorry I didn't review until later)**

**Zuzu-animelovr**

**raelynn gross (God, you reviewed A LOT)**

**shades of green**

**Cheese**

**Silverwolf819**

**Rocket2SE**

**Alik Takeda**

**Thieving Alchemist**

**QuilavaKing**

**Warrman**

**and**

**Supernerdo13 (I freaking love your name haha)**

**For reviewing over the course of the last 10 chapters. I hope you guys will continue to read my work, and I will look into yours! I'm really surprised that this many people actually took the time to review, out of the hundreds of people on here who have read Baby Mine. You guys are all stars and for that, I thank you (I love Tosh.0. Don't judge). As repayment for you guys taking the time for me, I'll go and put a review on one of your stories (except Cheese, because I don't think they're a member). Thanks for sticking with me through the good chapters and the bad, and I can't wait to hear from you again. Bysies!**


	11. Finale

Something didn't feel right. I was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of cereal, when the feeling hit. It was another contraction, but this one was different. It was too…_wet_.

"Soul…" I called uncertainly.

"What?" Soul called back from his room.

"It's time." I called back. Soul walked out of his room and into the kitchen.

"Time for what?" he asked obliviously.

"Soul," I began, my words clipped. "It's time."

Soul's eyes narrowed for the split second it took him to figure out what I meant. "Oh…Oh!" he gasped. "It's time…Blair, it's fucking time! Get Maka's bag and let's go!"

We were at the hospital in seconds. I tried not a grind my teeth from the pain that was escalating by the minute.

"Get Stein." I bit my lip hard, drawing blood. Soul practically carried me to the maternity ward. When he got there, he kicked open the door.

"We're having a baby!" Soul yelled, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. Nygus and Kim came running over, shouting orders.

"Kim, get the room ready. Stein, I need you here, stat!" Kim ran off. I sighed with relief. It was going to be over soon. Nygus rushed me over to an empty bed and set up the stirrups.

"Soul, don't leave. Please-," my pleas were cut off by the scream I couldn't contain. I reached for something, _anything_, to hold on to and caught Soul's hand. He gripped my hand as if his life depended on it.

"It's okay, Maka. You're going to be fine. Nygus and Stein are going to get you a spinal block and the pain will go away." Soul looked expectantly at Nygus, but she just shook her head.

"No time. She's already at ten centimeters. This boy is coming _now_." My heart sank. I would have to endure this pain longer? "I know this is rushed, but Maka, it's time to push," Nygus told me as gently as she could. I was confused and scared and did the first thing my instinct (and my nurse) told me to do. I pushed.

"Come on, Maka, he's almost here!" I heard Kim call, and looked to see her standing beside Nygus at my feet. Stein was checking my vitals every five minutes. The pain was almost unbearable, but I just kept pushing, pushing through the pain, pushing to bring my son into the world. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the pain was gone and the pressure had almost stopped. Nygus held a small newborn baby boy in her arms. She handed a pair of scissors to Soul, and he cut the umbilical cord. Nygus muttered something about the placenta, but I wasn't listening. The only thing I could hear was the glorious sound of a baby, my baby, _our_ baby, crying. I looked around the room, searching for the source of the cry, but everything was moving in slow motion. I barely caught a glimpse of him as Stein walked out the room, carrying him.

"Where did they go?" I asked, desperate to see my baby. "Where did Stein take him?"

"Benjamin was just born, Maka. He needs to go to the nursery to get cleaned up and to sleep," Kim answered me, smiling. Benjamin, my little Benjamin.

"Why couldn't I hold him?" I asked, thinking of my dreams of holding my son for the first time.

"He's a little premature, Maka. We need to make sure that he's okay first. But I promise that you can be the first to hold him when all the tests are done," Nygus told me. I smiled at her. I was so tired.

"Can I take a nap?" I asked, afraid I might not wake up.

"Of course you can."

"Thank you." With that, I drifted off into a world where I was holding my son, and Soul was smiling, and everything was right.

I woke up about three hours later, according to the clock on the table. Soul was asleep in a chair beside me. I smiled at him, raised myself off of the hospital bed, and walked out of the room.

_I have to see him_, I thought, letting my socked feet lead the way. Soon, I was standing in front of the nursery, looking around for my little man. Then I saw it.

_Benjamin Michael Evans_ was written on a card, stuck in a slot in front of the little bed. Ben was sleeping, his small hands curled into little fists. I couldn't wait to hold him, to kiss him, to _love_ him. He was mine, and I was so proud of the little fighter. He'd been through so much.

"You know, it's really cool to see my name written on that little note card." I flipped around to see my weapon standing behind me.

"Soul! I thought you were asleep. And I thought you hated your last name," I added, getting confused.

"Yeah, but that little guy doesn't. As far as he knows, it's the best last name in the world."

"That's because it _is_ the best last name in the world," I retorted playfully. Soul smiled, but it faded after a few seconds.

"What if it was _your_ last name?" he asked, so quietly I almost thought he was talking to himself. He wrapped his arms around my waist.

"What?" I asked, turning to look at him.

"I love you," he said, looking into my eyes. They filled up with tears as I stood there in his arms, feeling completely safe for the first time in months.

"I love you, too." Oh, it felt so good to finally tell him that. After nine months of craziness, after twenty minutes of pain to bring a miracle into the world, I had finally told him.

"Maka, I took your first love, your first kiss, and your virginity." I slapped him when he said the last one. He looked up at me through his long eyelashes. "Will you take my last name?"

I smiled, blinking back the stupid tears that wouldn't seem to stop falling. I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing my lips to his ear.

"Yes," I whispered, and brought my face to look at him. He pulled me closer and gently pressed his lips against mine, reminding me why I fell in love with him. Yes, he was an ass sometimes. Yes, he could be really immature. But he was the sweetest man I'd ever met. He could sweep you off your feet without a broom, just as he'd swept me off mine. I thought back to what I'd told Ted the day I'd bought the first pregnancy book.

_"How does it end?"_

_"They end up together."_

Yeah, that seemed about right.

* * *

><p>"Maka, would you like to meet your son?" Kim asked, walking into the room. She was wheeling a clear, plastic bed in front of her. Inside, my baby slept peacefully.<p>

"Yes, please," I answered, reaching out for him. I got out of bed and walked to the rocking chair in the corner. Kim carefully laid him in my arms. He was so small, just over seven pounds, but he was long. 21 inches to be exact. I smiled down at him, ruffling his white hair softly. He opened his eyes to show me two gleaming blue ones staring back at me. Kim noticed the look on my face.

"Don't worry, Maka. They'll change. All white babies are born with blue eyes." I sighed in relief. I wanted him to have my green eyes, or better yet, Soul's red ones. Ben started to fuss, so I began rocking back and forth, soothing him. Soon, he began to quiet down.

"Where's Soul?" Kim asked, looking around. I smiled.

"He went out to get something for us to eat. He's exhausted, poor thing." Kim rolled her eyes.

"He didn't do anything!"

"He stayed with me, worried for me, and cried with me when Ben was born. What guy wouldn't be tired?" We both laughed. I looked down at my little man.

"So I heard he proposed to you," Kim began, giggling a little, "Outside the nursery. All the nurses are talking about it."

I soft smile graced my lips. "Yes, he did."

"You said yes, right?"

"No, I only had his baby. No way am I going to marry the man," I said sarcastically, earning another laugh from Kim. She reached over and touched Ben's head.

"You two made one beautiful baby," she sighed, not taking her eyes off my child. I smiled.

"I know." Continuing to rock him, I softly began to sing a song my mother used to sing to me. I remembered all the words, even all the right notes.

_"Baby mine, don't you cry._

_Baby mine, dry your eyes._

_Rest your head, close to my heart,_

_never to part,_

_Baby of mine._

_Little one, when you play,_

_Don't you mind what they say._

_Let those eyes sparkle and shine,_

_Never a tear,_

_Baby of mine."_

Ben was fast asleep now, but I couldn't help but keep singing. I almost felt like he _needed_ to hear my words. I let the lyrics swell from my lips, forgetting about everyone else in the room.

"_If they knew sweet little you—_

_They'd end up,_

_Loving you, too._

_All those same,_

_People who scold you._

_What they'd give,_

_Just for the right to hold you…_

_From your head,_

_Down to your toes._

_You're not much, goodness knows._

_But you're so,_

_Precious to me,_

_Sweet as can be,_

_Baby of mine…_

_All those same,_

_People who scold you._

_What they'd give,_

_Just for the right,_

_To,_

_Hold,_

_You…_

_From your head,_

_Down to your toes._

_You're not much,_

_Goodness knows._

_But you're so,_

_Precious to me,_

_Sweet as can be,_

_Baby of mine._

_Baby of mine…"_

"Wow, I never knew you had such a beautiful voice." I jumped as Soul entered the room, holding two bags from Wendy's. The smell of the chicken nuggets made my mouth water. "You know what?" He asked, grabbing my attention again.

"What?"

"You look just like a mom."

"I am a mom," I said, laughing. Soul shook his head.

"God, a mother at seventeen. You're pushing the envelope." I laughed again.

"A dad at eighteen. Who's pushing the envelope now?" Then I got an idea. "Would you like to meet your son?" I asked, copying Kim. Soul's eyes widened, and he nodded. I rested Ben in his arms. Right then, he looked like a father, a real one, for the first time. The reason I say "real one"? He looked scared shitless.

"He's…mine," Soul mumbled, holding our son. He pressed a kiss to the top of Ben's head. "Benjamin Michael Evans." He looked at me. "Soon you'll be Maka Evans. Hmm… It has a ring to it."

"A ring I like," I said, crawling back into bed. Soul took my seat in the rocking chair.

"So, things are going to change, huh?"

"Yeah, but it'll be okay. We're a family now, and families stick together." I had never believed that sentence until that moment. But now, I see that two people really can stay together, no matter what, and my proof was the two boys sitting next to me.

* * *

><p><strong>It's finally done! I did it! I finished a story on fanfiction! I'd like to thank everyone who review once again. I know that list will grow with this final update, and for all those future reviewers, I'd like to thank you, too.<strong>

**So, what did you guys think? Hit? Miss? Come on, did you really think they weren't going to end up together? After all that foreshadowing? I told you the ending was predictable. But that's okay, because I freaking LOVE how I ended it. **

**Now, I will be starting the sequel soon, just...not right now. I do have a life, and to finish this story four days after starting it was jsut redonkulous. No, redonkulous is not a word. Yes, I will use it anyway.**

**I hope you guys will stay tuned for the next installment, because you get to meet Ben (and the rest of the cast) in an alternate universe to the one I used in "Soul and Maka's Playlist". In that story, Ben and Claire were born after Soul and Maka had already gotten married. I don't even know if Claire is going to make an appearance in this story. Probably. It wouldn't be fair to write about her brother and not include her.**

**Some notes on the next story:**

**It will be a collection of oneshots depicting Soul and Maka's day-to-day lives as parents**

**There will probably be some fight scenes (this story was severely lacking them. But what was I supposed to do? Have Maka fight a kishin with a big ass bulging belly in her way? No!)**

**There will be a time skip. Like, a time skip of six months to a year.**

**That's all I have to say. I guess all that's left is to say Tah Tah For Now! See you next time. Bysies!**


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